On the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Indonesia's independence, the Indonesian Embassy in Dakar announced the official launch of the Senegalese Association of Pencak Silat (ASPS) to develop this Indonesian martial discipline in Senegal.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Dakar celebrated the 81st anniversary of Indonesia's independence on 17 August 2026 at a ceremony in the Senegalese capital. The event brought together members of the Indonesian community, honorary consuls from Indonesia in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, as well as Senegalese partners from the diplomatic representation in the fields of business, agriculture and education. Representatives from several countries within the diplomatic district of the Embassy, including the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde also participated in the video conference.

The meeting was notably marked by a demonstration by Pencak Silat presented by the Senegalese Association of Pencak Silat. This traditional Indonesian martial art combines defence techniques, sports practice and artistic expression. Since 2019 it has been listed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Dakar, the creation of ASPS aims to structure the practice of this discipline in Senegalese territory and to establish collaborations with relevant Indonesian organizations, including IPSI-Persilat.

Under the leadership of Mouhamadou Niang, the association intends to work with the Indonesian Embassy and the Indonesian Pencak Silat bodies to develop discipline in Senegal. According to the Embassy communiqué, this initiative is part of the cultural and sports exchanges between the two countries. It is also involved in the cultural diplomacy activities carried out by Indonesian representation in Senegalese society.

For Indonesia's Ambassador to Dakar, Ardian Wicaksono, the development of the Pencak Silat in Senegal is intended to expand the exchanges between the two countries in the fields of sport and culture. The establishment of ASPS thus provides a new institutional framework for such exchanges, while Indonesia-Senegal relations already cover several sectors, including business, agriculture and education.